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Thursday, 17 November 2016

Friendship Quilt Block Lottery "Primary Block"

This tutorial has been created for my friends of the Cresent Quilters' group. Thanks for participating in this fun activity. I hope you enjoy making this block. The block you have chosen is the "Primary Block" of the quilt. The colorful fabrics in your kit are from a beautiful new fabric line by Moda called "Manderley" If you are wondering where I got these block ideas and templates from, they came from a book called "Quilt Block Cookbook" by Amy Gibson. I recommend this book if you enjoy making quilt blocks. It is full of great ideas for designing blocks and pairing up different blocks. The book is full of beautiful pictures.

Below is a sampling of some of the fabrics included in the kits. I can't wait to see all of the blocks you create!

The block you are creating is going to have this design.

Your $3 kit contains all of the following:

-All of the fabric needed to create this block

-Four templates for paper piecing.
-Two entry forms to win all of the blocks.

Once you have completed the block, bring it back to our Crescent Quilters' meeting along with your two completed entries. Once we have all thirteen of these "Primary Blocks" and all twelve of the "Complimentary Blocks" back we can have the draw. One lucky will win all of the blocks (enough to assemble a beautiful quilt). PLUS they will also win fabric for the binding of the quilt.

One attribute of friendship is TRUST. I trust that if you have purchased this $3 kit you will make the block. Your friends at Crescent Quilters' group are counting on you to turn it in so that the draw can be made!

Let's get started! The following directions are very detailed and the pictures should help you out.

1. Prepare your paper templates by cutting them out. Not right on the lines. Cut about 1/4" beyond the outsides lines.

2. Without thread in your sewing machine sew along the lines of your paper templates. (The line between 1 and 2 and the line between 1 and 3. No need to sew along the outer boarders) THIS IS IMPORTANT TO DO AS IT WILL ENABLE YOU TO TEAR AWAY THE PAPER TEMPLATE EASILY AT THE END.

3. Decide what fabric you want to use where.

Fabric "A" will be for the center square and flying geese that make up the star.

Fabric "B" will be for the flying geese that shadow the star.

Fabric "C" will be for the bursts in the corners.

Cut your fabric:

From fabric A:

- Cut one square that is 4 1/2 " for the centre square.

- Cut eight squares that are 2 1/2" each. (to make flying geese)

From fabric B:

- Cut eight squares that are 2 1/2" each. (to make flying geese)

From fabric C:- Cut four squares that are 4 1/2" each.

From the white fabric:

- Cut eight rectangles that are 2 1/2" x 5 1/2" for the bursts.

- Cut eight 2 1/2" x 4 1/2" rectangles for making the geese.

4. Create the bursts:

Lay your 4 1/2" square of fabric C with the right side of the fabric facing down (wrong side facing you).

5. Place a paper template on top face up. Place a pin in it to hold them together.

6. Fold back the paper template along the perforated line between 1 and 2. Do another check. Is your fabric face down? This is important!

7. Place a ruler on top measuring 1/4" past the folded paper. Use a rotary cutter to cut the fabric.

8. Place a white rectangle down.

Carefully place the piece that you just cut on top, lining up the edge of the print fabric that you just cut with the long edge of the white rectangle.

Open up the perforated fold once again and put another pin in to hold all three layers together.

9. Time to sew. Set the stitch length on your sewing machine a little smaller than you normally would use for piecing. This will enable you to pull the paper off at the end without distorting your stitches. SEW EXACTLY ALONG THE LINE.

10. Iron open the seam that you have just sewn. (Notice you can see the paper square through the white fabric).

11. Go back to the cutting board. Place the piece with the paper facing up. Fold back on the perforated line between 1 and 3.

Place a ruler on top measuring 1/4" away from the fold. Use a rotary cutter to cut the 1/4" measurement.

12. Place another white rectangle down.

Place the piece with the edge you just cut on top, carefully lining up the just cut edge to the long edge of the white rectangle. Put a pin through all of the layers to hold them together.

13. Sew exactly on the line between 1 and 3.

Iron the seam you have just sewn open.

14. Place your piece on a cutting mat with the paper side up. Use a rotary cutter to cut exactly 1/4" outside the solid outside lines of the paper piece.

15. Carefully remove the paper from your pieced square.

LOOK HOW BEAUTIFUL YOUR PAPER PIECED SQUARE IS!

16. Repeat all of the above steps three more times for your other corner pieces.

17. Time to make the flying geese units. (Using fabric B)

You may make all 8 flying geese units at once or else make four at a time as shown in the pictures below. I like to sew them in a chain in order to speed up the process.

Place the 2 1/2" squares with the wrong side of the fabric facing up. Draw a diagonal line from corner to corner on each square.

18. Place a square witha a diagonal line on top of each white rectangle as shown in the picture below. (The square is placed on the left hand side of the rectangle). Place a pin in it to hold it in place.

19. Sew exactly onlong the line.

20. Use a ruler to measure 1/4" away from your sewn line. Using a rotary cuttter cut at the 1/4" measurement.

21. Press seam open with an iron.

22. Place the other 2 1/2" squares onto the right hand side of the white rectangle. Pin to hold.

23. Sew exactly along the lines again. Place a ruler on top to measure 1/4" away from the sewn line. Using a rotary cutter, trim at the 1/4" measurement.

24. Press seams open. Your units are now complete. If you have only made four units until now repeat to make four more with the other fabric. (Fabric A)

25. Pair up each flying geese unit with fabric A with a flying geese unit B. Look at the picture below to see how to pair them up and sew them together. Press your seams after sewing.

26. Sew all of your units together. Press your seams, and your block is done! The measurement should be 12 1/2" square. Square it up if necessary.